The Beauty Enhancer
by mh137
Summary: Some people liked my first little story about Mary and asked for a new one. So I decided to write one. But be warned: This is a very silly story and Mary, at least, is completely OOC. Nevertheless, I hope you have a little fun with it.


**The Beauty Enhancer**

 _ _Some people liked my little story about Mary and__ _ _asked for a new one. S__ _ _o I decided to write one.__ _ _But be warned:__ _This is_ _ _a very silly story__ _ _and Mary, at least, is completely OOC__ _ _.__ _ _Nevertheless,__ _ _I hope you have a little fun with it.__ __

Summertime was near. Jane and Lizzy were back from their journey to London. The life of the Bennet family was back to it's normal ongoings. The disappointment about Mr. Bingley's not returning to Netherfield began to vanish at last. Plans were made for the summer. Lizzy was to go to Derbyshire with the Gardiners, Lydia to Brighton with Colonel Forster and his wife Harriet. The latter plan was not welcomed by every member of the family.

During the last week of her stay in London, Lizzy had accidentally met Mr. Darcy on one of her walks in a park. She had told him she was often there, in hope to avoid further encounters. Her hope was in vain. Mr. Darcy was, apparently, lying in wait for her every day from there on. The day before her departure, he proposed to her. To say she was surprised would have been the understatement of the year. The proposal was a disaster. But that is another story. Nevertheless, he managed to give her a letter, in which he, among other things, told her of his past with Mr. Wickham.

Lizzy, aware of Lydias disposition and now also knowing the truth about George Wickham, had already spoken to her father about Lydias planned trip, to prevent her sister from going into the neighbourhood of hundreds of soldiers, especially Mr. Wickham. But to no avail. Her father would not listen to her, arguing that Lydia was of no interest to such men since she had no dowry. He failed to notice that there could be other things about women in which men were interested.

Frustrated about her father's ignorance, Lizzy complained to Mary.

"I dearly love our father. But why must he be so indulgent? He is not willing to see the dangers for Lydia. And Lydia, with her lack of propriety and manners, will be an easy target for these men, I fear."

Mary nodded silently. She understood Lizzy's concerns, but had no idea what could be done. At least, not yet.

The next morning, the Bennet family was sitting at the breakfast table. That is, except Lydia. Suddenly their peace was disturbed by a loud clamour. Lydia came storming in, howling and protesting.

"What's the matter, my dear? Are you hurt?" exclaimed her mother.

"This nasty pimple on my nose! It's getting bigger every day! I can't take it anymore! Is there nothing that can be done against it? I can't let myself be seen like this in Brighton!"

Mrs. Bennet cried for Hill to help. Jane looked concerned, Lizzy hopefully. Mr. Bennet took his newspaper and retired to his study. Mary and Kitty smiled in secret, if for totally different reasons. Mrs. Hill came in, desperate, but couldn't offer any help.

When the excitement had calmed down a little, it was decided to call for the apothecary. Mr. Jones came, looking a bit offended when told what he was called for, but in the end he gave Lydia a salve.

Unfortunately, the salve didn't help much. At least the pimple didn't get bigger.

The day of Lydias departure came nearer. Two days before, Mary secretly went to the storeroom and took an inventory. Eventually she found what she was looking for. That day, Mary didn't much practice at the pianoforte. Instead she went to her room, taking a small box with her, and didn't leave the room for two hours. Nobody took notice.

After breakfast the next day, Lydia and Mrs. Bennet were in full preparations for the former's journey. Mary waited for an opportunity and when her mother sat down for a moment's rest, she said:

"Do you remember the peddler who came here some months ago? I happened to be at the door. Mrs. Hill bought some herbs for the kitchen from him. And then you came along and got angry about the high price. You called him a cheater..."

"And quite rightly!"

"...and then, as compensation, he gave you a small box and said it was a beauty supplier. Perhaps we could use it."

"To be sure, I cannot remember that. And Mary, please go away now. I don't have the time for such nonsense yet."

"But Mama, can't you see it? Lydia can make use of it now. Surely she should look her best when she goes to Brighton?"

"Well, my dear, I think you are right. Where is it?"

"I asked Hill to look for it. She gave me this box here. I think this is exactly what Lydia is in need of."

Mrs. Bennet looked at the small box. It was wrapped in brownish paper, with a lid at the top and had an inscription on the paper, which read:

 _"Enhance your beauty! Smooth skin guaranteed. No more skin spots, freckles or pimples. Take a spoonful every day, together with a glass of water or wine. Because of the bad taste we recommend to put a clothespin on your nose when swallowing."_

Mrs. Bennet was all astonishment. She never had seen anything like this. But she decided to give it to Lydia. No one should say she hadn't tried anything to help her dearest daughter finding a husband.

Lydia was very happy about the box and promised to make daily use of it. She didn't even forget the clothespin.

A week later, Lydias first letter from Brighton arrived.

 _"Dear family,_

 _I'm so excited! Brighton is wonderful. And imagine we are settled near the sea! The day after we arrived, Harriet and I went to the beach. We wanted to bathe and had already slipped our shoes off, standing near the water, but then suddenly a mighty wave came and we got wet. Oh what fun we had! But we had to dry our clothes and went back to the house._

 _Dear mother, thank you so much for the box with the beauty enhancer! I take it everyday and can you imagine my pimple almost disappeared! And tomorrow we're going to have our first ball with the officers! I'm determined to dance all night!"_

Another week later came the next letter.

 _"Dear all,_

 _I really don't know what to do. I'm so terribly disappointed. We had two balls since I last wrote. The worst has happened. Can you imagine that nobody, except one, wanted to dance with me? This is not to be borne! At the first assembly, a young officer came to me and asked me to dance and I was so excited! And when we the dance commenced, he first smiled at me, but then, he grimaced and didn't look at me at all! And after that, no one came to ask me for a second dance! What does that mean? Harriet is no help at all, she looks at me, shakes her head and says nothing. I asked her what's wrong with me but she refused to answer. Please tell me what to do!"_

And so it went on. In her letters, Lydia complained more and more about the bad manners of the officers. Nobody wanted her as a dance partner, and what was more, it seemed nobody wanted to be in her company at all. In her last letter from Brighton, about four weeks after her departure, she begged her family to get her back:

 _"I am so frustrated. I can't take more of that. I really don't have the slightest idea what happened. Is Brighton a cursed place? Even my dear Wickham doesn't look at me at all. Please take me back home."_

Eventually Mr. Bennet took pity on Lydia and sent a carriage to Brighton to get her back. When Lydia was at home again, she withdrew into her room, loudly complaining over her misfortunes and the injustice which was done to her. She left it to the maid, Sarah, to unpack her things.

While doing this, Sarah found a small box in Lydias trunk, but didn't know what to do with it. She asked Lydia, but got no answer. She gave it to Hill, who also had no clue and handed it to Mrs. Bennet. Mrs. Bennet remembered.

"Mary! Mary! Come here at once!"

"Yes, Mama?"

"I don't think this has brought Lydia much luck", Mrs. Bennet said.

Mary thought otherwise, but said nothing.

"Perhaps you can give it a try? After all you are the least beautiful of my daughters."

"Thank you, Mama. I'm sure to have use for it."

The box was soon forgotten by Mrs. Bennet because the next day Lizzy came back from her journey to Derbyshire, glowing with happiness, since she was newly engaged to Mr. Darcy, Master of Pemberley, who happened to have an income of at least 10,000 a year. And more of that, Mr. Darcy, together with his friend Mr. Bingley, was to come back to Netherfield in a few days. That was enough to set Mrs. Bennet in a state of frenzy.

When some days later Lizzy set out for one of her morning walks, she was astonished to find Mary also prepared for a walk.

"May I come with you?"

"Of course you can go with me!", Lizzy said. "But I wonder why? You've never had an inclination to walk."

"Things can change", Mary answered. "By the way, has Lydia told you what happened in Brighton?"

"No, she has not. She does not speak to me. I admit I've been worried about her. Some days ago, when I stayed at the Lambton inn, I received a letter from Jane. It was misdirected first because the address was badly written. I feared the worst news, only to find then that Jane told me of some strange letters Lydia had written from Brighton. Such as that no one wanted to dance with her."

"It is true and I'm not surprised about that. I am wondering if this small box has possibly saved our family from ruin."

With this, Mary pulled the box out of her pocket. Lizzy stood and looked at Mary.

"How did you come to such an idea?"

Mary smiled. "Well, let me show you something."

She let Lizzy read the inscription on the paper around the box, then removed the paper. There was another inscription, hidden behind the paper before.

Lizzy began to laugh, more and more. It took her at least ten minutes to recover.

Even many years later she could still remember what was inscripted on the box:

 _"Garlic powder"._


End file.
